Quest For the Grail
by ALICE iN BLACK MARKET
Summary: After a strange encounter with the Holy Grail, Sir Percival sets out on an adventure to find the vessel once again. However, she is joined by Sir Galahad, a knight claiming to be the world's greatest knight.


Chapter 1: Here I Lie

_So __is __this __to __be __it __then? __Am __I __finally __going __to __die __at __the __hands __of __some __worthless __bandit? __I __can__'__t __fight __this; __I __can__'__t __fight __death __like __he __can. __So __now __I __lay __here, __a __sword __in __my __stomach, __blood __seeping __through __and __staining __my __fur. __My __head __lies __to __the __side __and __through __fluttered __eye__s __all __I __can __see __is __are __my __fingers __occasionally __twitching. __My __breathing __slows __down __and __my __fingers __stop __twitching. __But __I__'__m __not __dead __yet. __I __still __have __time __to __think, __but __I __don__'__t __want __to __think __about __the __past, __instead __I __look __to __the __future. __Tales __of __what __was __beyond __death __never __fascinated __me, __but __now __I __am __actuall__y __laying __here __dieing __then __now __would __be __a __good __time __to __think __about __them, __would __it __not? __Would __I __really __meet __God? __Or __would __I __be __thrust __down __into __hell __for __dishonouring __my __country? __The __latter __sounds __fitting __enough__… __It__'__s __happening __now.__I __can __already __feel __my __heartbeat __slow __down__ – __death __is __upon __me __and __I __should __accept __it. __I __close __my __eyes __and __soon __the __blackness __consumes __me__…_

_ But __wait. __I __can __feel __something. __That __has __to __be __strange __for __someone __who __is __now __dead__… __Arms. __They__'__re __clasped __under __my __back __and __the __hook __of __my __knees __and __now __I __swear __I __am __being __lifted, __but __by __who? __I __try __to __open __my __eyes, __these __dying __eyes __that __won__'__t __even __move. __I __can __hardly __feel __myself __breathe __and __yet __this __stranger __is __taking __me __away.__It __is __probably __a __bandit. __Maybe __it __just __wants __to __steal __my __armour,__ I__'__m __sure __it __could __be __of __some __sort __of __value. __But __then __again, __they__ could __have __just __stripped __me __of __my __armour __and __left __my __body __here._

_" __Grab __her __sword, __but __be __careful. __It __may __burn.__" __spoke __the __masculine __voice. __Yes, __I __should __believe __it __would __harm __whoever __the __man __was __addressing. __Laevateinn __carried __the __flames __of __my __own __soul __within __her, __only __I __could __wield __her __power. __However, __I __hear __no __gasp __or __shriek __of __pain. __I __do __not __hear __the __sound __of __my __rapier __clattering __on __the __stone __floor. __I __shake __my __head__ – __mentally __of __course. __How __could __someone __shake __their __head __on __the __verge __of __death? __I__'__m __a __little __confused, __but __I__'__m __going __to __die __soon, __so __what __would __be __the __point __in __worrying __about __such __a __little __thing._

_ It__'__s __amazing __that __I__'__m __still __alive; __we __have __been __travelling __for __quite __a __while. __There __were __only __two __people__ – __the __one __who __was __carrying __me __and __the __other __who__most __likely __a __young __boy __by __the __sound __of __his __voice __who __trailed __behind __us. __I __could __tell __from __the __occasional __complaints __from __my __carrier. __He __stumbled __often __and __my __carrier __had __to __keep __on __instructing __him __in __which __direction __to __go. __Odd. __I __feel __strange __lying __in __the __stranger__'__s __arms. __I __know __I __must __be __in __pain, __but __I __can__'__t __feel __it __at __all. __I __just __feel __numbness __and __the __strange __metal __lodged __through __my __stomach. __I __still __can__'__t __open __my __eyes, __but __for __some __reason __I __don__'__t __even __want __too. __Opening __them __would __only __lead __to __more __confusion __and __why __would __I __want __to __be __confused __at __my __time __of __death? __Hold __on. __I__'__ve __stopped __moving, __or __at __least __my __carrier __has._

_"__Darius?__" __the __older __man __calls __somewhere. __No __reply, __however __his __voice __echoes __through s__ome __sort __of __cavity__ – __a __cave? __My __thoughts __are __confirmed __as __we __walk __down __some __sort __of __rocky __path, __my __carrier __almost __slips __but __he __regains __his __balance __quickly.__I __can __hear __water __dripping __down __the __cave.__It __is __strange__ – __how __all __my __other __senses __have __closed __down __except __my __hearing.__I __had __never __thought __about __what __it __would __be__ like __to __be __blind, __but __I __guess __I__'__m __experiencing__ that __right __now.__I __have __to __rely __on __my __hearing __now, __to __try __and __understand __what __might __be __going __on, __even __if __I__am __going __to __die __soon. __Suddenly, __my __finger __twitches. __I __mentally __breathe __a __sigh __of __relief __but __also __confusion __at __the __sudden __movement. __I __thought __I __was __getting __worse?__I __don__'__t __understand __what__'__s __happening __here._

_"__Ah,__Garrett,__you__'__ve __returned. __And __who __is __this?__" __speaks __a __new __voice, __feminine __this __time __and __s ome what __young. __Maybe __she__'__s __the __same __age __as __me? __I__'__m __not __too __sure __at __the __moment._

_ "Julianna is Darius here?" asked the man, Garrett must be his name. The women, Julianna? She was addressing him, wasn't she?_

_"__No, __he __left __earlier, __now __are __you __going __to __answer __my __question __or __are __we __going __to __stand __here __while __you __hold __a __corpse?__" __replied __Julianna. __I __would __chuckle __if __I __could; __I __guess __I__'__ve __already __taken __to __this __mysterious __woman._

_ "Don't you recognise her? She's a Knight of the Round Table." answered Garrett coldly. I have a feeling these two don't get along very well…_

_"__Well, __that __is __obvious. __But __why __do _you _have __her? __Are __you __the __one __who __lodged __that __sword __in __her __chest?__" __My __carrier __growls __at __her. __Should __I __be __worried __that __they__'__re __arguing?__After __all, __they __do __seem __to __be __arguing __about __me._

_ "There isn't much time for questions. As you've probably guessed by now, this cat is dying and we need to save her." he hisses at the women through what sounds like gritted teeth._

_ "Fine, then lay her on the alter and I'll-"_

_ "She needs to be near fire!" Garrett cuts off Julianna and she gives out and exasperated sigh. _

_"__There__'__s __a __fire __lit __in __the __other __room, __now __let __me __go __and __get __the __vessel.__" __Vessel? __What __vessel? __But __I __have __no __time __to __think __about __that, __instead __I__'__m __being __carried __away __again.__This __is __all __too __strange __for __me. __I __don__'__t __understand __what__'__s __going __on __at __all __and __the __confusion __is __making __my __head __hurt. __Does __someone __like __me __really __have __to __go __through __this __when __she __is __dying? __What? __My __finger __is __twitching __again. __That__'__s __a __good __sign, __right?_

_ Suddenly I feel warm. My body is engulfed in flames but it doesn't hurt. In fact it relaxes me and I lay in the fire for a few minutes, taking in its heat. I finally realise now that my breathing has grown heavier. I've started gasping in for the smoky air that surrounds me._

_"__Just __fire __won__'__t __work, __you __know.__" __mentions __the __solemn __voice __of __Julianna __as __I __believe__s he__re- enters __the __room._

"_Well isn't that why we have the Grail?" snapped Garrett. I'm starting to dislike him now and the way he's talking to Julianna, but then again I'm not in the position to complain, nor can I physically complain all the same. _

_ "Bring her out for a second," Julianna instructs and Garret does so, gently dragging me from the flames. I noticeably wince as my head leaves the flames. Julianna seems to have noticed this and her dainty hand wraps around my head and pulls back my helmet. I already know that there is blooded crusted across my nose and lower lip, but Julianna chooses to ignore this and instead presses a cold metal against my lips. A cool, sweet liquid pours into my mouth. I still had no feeling in any part of my body so all I could do was let the drink pour down my throat. It's a strange feeling, letting some pass down your throat without swallowing it. It's an instinctive thing that you don't often think about…_

_ Ow, __now __I __feel __the __pain __again, __but __for __some __reason __I__'__m __not __worried. __Isn__'__t __the __whole __point __of __pain __to __tell __you __that __something __is __wrong, __and __if __I __am __feeling __pain __does __that __mean __in __an __odd __way __I__'__m __getting __better? __This __is __far __to __strange__… __I __don__'__t __understand __anything, __but __wait, __no __don__'__t __leave __me, __come __back!__I__… __I-I__'__m__slipping__…_

"Garrett, her pulse has disappeared. I think you were too l-" started the tall wolf.

"No I wasn't, she's going to be fine." hissed the wolf next too her. The two druids were sat beside the lilac cat, the she-wolf cradling her head and the male glaring sternly at his companion.

"Well, there's not much we can do for her now. We should leave her to rest in the fire, and then maybe attempt to pull out the sword later," Julianna compromised and rested the knight inside the flames once again. She stood up and brushed down her skirt before walking out of the room.

"I don't understand why you care so much about this knight anyway? Not some silly prophecy?" she called out. Garrett growled before following her through.

"That cat is a Knight of the Round Table, I just don't think she should have deserved to die after her fellow knights deserted her leaving her to fight of around ten bandits at once." replied Garret.

"Well that wasn't very nice, was it?" Julianna pouted as she rested the vessel she had been holding to its place on the altar. Once positioned, the dark she-wolf quickly looked around the cave before resting her eyes on the young boy in the cave's entrance.

"Cornwall, are you coming in or are you just go to stand there in the cold?" she questioned sarcastically and rested one hand on her hip. The young wolf stared at his mother coldly.

"I thought you weren't going to use _that_ anymore." he said angrily, not moving from where he stood, gesturing with a nod at the vessel on the altar.

"Cornwall, we've discussed this before. The Grail is to be in our possession until the Knight is chosen, until then, whenever it may be, we are to use anyway we wish." replied Julianna with a sigh.

"So you're just going to heal a load of random people for the hell of it? This isn't right. You can mess around with who lives and who doesn't!" shouted her son.

Julianna raised a hand to her head. "Cornwall, you're too young to understand."

"I don't want to understand. I just want that thing gone!" Cornwall yelled.

"Cornwall, that is no way to address a woman, let alone your mother." spoke Garrett sternly, glaring at his nephew. The young wolf glared at his uncle through clouded eyes, before pivoting on the spot and storming off into the forest, tripping on a tree root as he did so. Julianna sighed as her son left.

"He just too naïve," Garrett commented before turning to return to the knight in the other room.

"He's not naïve. I think he understands perfectly well what's going on, but his views differ from ours, so if you could please _not_ interfere with how I raise my son." Julianna's head turned to face Garrett with narrowed eyes, who happily returned the look, but eventually the she-wolf broke eye contact and left to find Cornwall.

Garrett turned back and entered the room with the crackling fire in the corner. The lilac cat was now breathing steadily, but the sword lodged in her stomach made the wolf grimace.

"Seems like Julianna is naïve too, knight. Silly prophecy? I'd like to see the look on her face when you're the one who discovers the Holy Grail once again." Garrett smiled at the cat, leaned forward and swiftly yanked out the sword causing the cat to curl over. Her eyes fluttered opened for a second, strained and bloodshot, but closed quickly once again. Garrett smiled once again at the cat,

"Sleep well, Percival. I have big things planned for you."


End file.
